CPEC to create job opportunities: Qureshi

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Wednesday said CPEC is a game changer and it would create job opportunities.

Talking to ex-Punjab minister industries Khawaja Jalaluddin Roomi at his residence, the Foreign Minister said the government was making honest efforts to bring positive changes in life of each section of society and soon relief would be extended to the masses. He said the south Punjab is emerging as big trade centre owing to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

He said the South Punjab Administrative Secretariat has started functions and nobody would reverse the creation of south Punjab province. Qureshi said the CPEC is a game changer and it would create job opportunities and route for progress in southern Punjab. The south Punjab will be a business hub in coming days. He said the government is taking favorable measures and initiatives for the establishment of new industries in south Punjab.

Roomi said the government should devise a strategy for the promotion of high value crops. He suggested the government to allocate maximum resources for high value crops besides preparing a foolproof cotton management strategy to get a bumper crop. The strategy must ensure financial incentives to growers, he said. Roomi underlined the need for expediting work on health projects in south Punjab. He offered the philanthropists are ready to contribute in health projects. He told the Foreign Minister that his family had put up numbers of patient's health welfare projects at Nishtar hospital and he is interested to expand it to the south Punjab districts.

He underlined the need to expand education infrastructure in south Punjab to end backwardness, creating new jobs in the region.

Qureshi welcomed his suggestions and said all are practicable and valuable. He said the government would soon start work on his suggestions.

Ateel visits Vehari, Mailsi, inspects crops: South Punjab Agriculture Secretary Saqib Ali Ateel Wednesday directed the agriculture department experts to ensure off season management of pink bollworm after the last picking of crop. He visited Vehari and Mailsi and inspected the crops of cotton, maize and other crops and directed the agriculture department to instruct growers that they should graze cattle or break open bowls before cutting the sticks after the last picking of cotton so that the next crop of cotton can be protected from the attack of Pink Cinnamon. He directed to include bio-pesticides on vegetables and herbs as well as IGR spray trials for off-season management of whiteflies. He urged farmers to cultivate approved varieties of wheat. He said farmers should also be instructed to cultivate canola or mustard on wheat field soils to protect the wheat crop from pests.

He said farmers should complete the cultivation of wheat until November 30 to get better yield. Ateel directed the Director Farms and Training to conduct trails of wheat sowing on wheat beds through adoptive research and share their results and their findings with the agriculture department.